Late Agbonlahor header leaves Hammers on brink

WEST HAM suffered late heartbreak as Gabby Agbonlahor came off the bench to head Aston Villa to victory at Upton Park, leaving the Hammers' survival hopes hanging by a thread.

Agbonlahor struck in injury time to sink the hosts after Darren Bent had nodded Villa level before the break, following Robbie Keane's second minute strike.

West Ham's players crumpled in a heap on the Boleyn Ground turf as Agbonlahor's header rippled the net, seemingly resigning themselves to their fate.

Only goal difference separates bottom club Wolves and West Ham now, with the target of three wins for safety looking less and less likely.

The game wasn't even two minutes old when Keane got the fast-starting Hammers off to a flier. The Irishman first twisted and turned before his attempted cross was deflected out for a corner, and it was from the set-piece that the goal arrived.

After the initial delivery was partly cleared, Gary O'Neil drilled the ball back into play, but once again it rebounded away. This time, though, it fell to Thomas Hitzlsperger, playing against his old club, and he nodded the ball back into the area, where Keane was lurking. Ashley Young failed to get out quick enough and the striker gratefully accepted the gift, cushioning the ball down with his chest before swivelling and firing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.

Young almost made amends soon after, first collecting a terrific cross-field ball from Bent before running at Lars Jacobsen and getting by him, but the subsequent shot deflected into the side-netting.

The hosts were forced into an early change as Manuel da Costa appeared to injure his foot in a challenge, with Danny Gabbidon coming on in his place.

Two weeks ago West Ham were denied playing a large chunk of the game against Manchester United with a man advantage when Nemanja Vidic hauled down Demba Ba, with the striker through on goal. And a similar situation developed on 16 minutes, Carlton Cole chasing a long ball over the top only to be stopped in his tracks by a push in the back from Richard Dunne. But referee Mark Halsey waved away the appeals of the players.

Cole saw a shot on the turn saved by Brad Friedel before Villa were denied an equaliser when Bent was adjudged to have pushed Jacobsen in the back when meeting a cross, with the ball beating Robert Green.

With ten minutes of the half to play, West Ham contrived to throw away their lead, and it was down to Mark Noble that the leveller arrived.

The midfielder has developed an unfortunate knack for giving away goals in recent weeks, having helped to trigger the Manchester United comeback a fortnight ago with a needless foul on the edge of his own box.

This time, he attempted to play his way out of trouble when putting his foot through the ball would have been more advisable. Emile Heskey picked his pocket with a well-timed tackle, and possession fell for Young. He shifted the ball to his namesake Luke, and his cross was met by a glancing header from Bent, who had managed to get across Wayne Bridge.

Villa ended the half in the ascendency and they started the second in much the same vein. Matthew Upson tried and failed to execute an ambitious header back to Green from a bouncing ball, and Bent nipped in, only for his effort from a tight angle to be parried behind by the keeper.

From the resulting corner, West Ham were indebted to Cole for preserving parity, as he cleared Dunne's header off the goalline.

The visitors were comfortably the better team by this stage, and they looked to have taken the lead when Noble, again, gave away a daft free-kick on the edge of the area. Young's effort seemed destined for the top corner, but Green flung himself to his left and got his fingertips to the shot to steer it wide of the mark.

Bent then saw a shot deflect narrowly wide of the upright from 20 yards out, as Villa pressed for the winner.

Avram Grant threw on Zavon Hines for the ineffective Victor Obinna in an attempt to inject some urgency into his side, but the forward was anonymous on the right wing.

Gary O'Neil, who was one of West Ham's better players throughout, was then stretchered off with an ankle injury after a robust, but fair, challenge from former Hammer Nigel Reo-Coker.

Demba Ba was brought on in his stead, but still Villa were the likelier victor, looking by fare the more dangerous side as the game entered the final quarter.

Cole, who had won most balls aimed his way, vied for another with Dunne and, after a mix-up between the defender and Friedel, the falling striker managed to get a volley off, only for the ball to fall wide of the post.

Ba saw a tame free-kick easily dealt with by the keeper as West Ham tried to up the ante with the clock ticking down.

With the game seemingly drifting towards a draw, a clever piece of skill from Young created the chance for substitute Gabby Agbonlahor to win it for Villa.

The winger made Hines look stupid in beating him on the byline and drifted a ball into the middle, where Agbonlahor was left all alone to nod back past Green and into the net.

The result was arguably a fair reflection on the balance of play, but there will be no consolation for West Ham, who now go into two games at Chelsea and Manchester City embedded in the drop zone and staring relegation in the face.

West Ham: Green; Jacobsen, Bridge, da Costa (Gabbidon 14), Upson; Hitzlsperger, Noble, O'Neil (Ba 62), Obinna (Hines 58); Cole, Keane. Subs: Boffin, Boa Morte, Piquionne, Spector